Art of wireless telegraphy.



No. 758,517. PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

L. DE FOREST.

ART OF WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: /NVNTO/? R v 0% M ATT H/VE) known to the art by which this may be done.

' NITlE STATES:

'" Mascaras Patented April 26, 1904.

ArnNr Fries.

ART OF WIRELESS TELEeRaPi-w.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed Slsptember 21, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEE DE FOREST, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county,'and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Wireless Telegraphy, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the art of wireless telegraphy whereby the distance of the transmitting or sending apparatus may be approximately determined.

The scope of my invention may be deter mined by inspection of the following description and claims.

The drawings annexed hereunto show different forms of apparatus which may be employed in carrying out my invention.

Figures 1 and 2 each show a receiving apparatus for carrying out my invention by varying the resistance of the local circuit containing the indicating device. Fig. 3 shows a receiving apparatus for carrying out my invention which employs a variable capacity in the circuit containing the indicating instrument. Figs. 4 and 5 show receiving apparatus for carrying out my invention employing a variable inductance to gage the distance.

7 With many forms of wireless-telegraph receiving apparatus the intensity of the action of the aerially-received waves upon the indicating mechanisms bears a definite relation to the distance of the station from which they were emitted, it being presumed that the intensity of radiation remains constant. If with such a receiving apparatus means be provided for measuring or indicating the intensity of the impulses received and the intensity of radiation being known, the separation of the transmitting and receiving stations may be at least approximately told by comparing such readings with readings obtained under correspondingp'onditions. There are many means One. simple form of apparatus which I have devised for doing this inserts a resistance in the circuit of the current induced by the aerially-received waves until the etfect of said received impulses is neutralized or damped down to substantially zero or to any other standard 59 or readily-determined point, said resistance 1 and 2.

Patent No. 758,517, dated April 26, 1904.

erial No. 173,970. (No specimens.)

being insertible by increments-which bear a known ratio to the distance and power of" a standard transmitter, the size of these increments having been previously carefully determined for different distances and for transmitting-stations of dilferent power. With this information charted it is possible to quickly approximate the distance from a known station when the power thereof-is known. Simple means of this character are shown in Figs. In these, A represents the collecting conductor or antenna; F, the variable resistance, shown as coils of a rheostat; S, the mow able arm of the rheostat, which in Rig. 1 is placed in series with the antenna and the waveresponsive device R and in Fig. 2 is placed in the local or telephone circuit; R, the wave-responsive device,which may be of any suitable type; T, a telephone-receiver or :other suitable indicating or translating device; B, the

- local battery, and E the earth connection.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 the variable resistance is adapted to be inserted in the aerial circuit between the antenna and the wave-responsive device,in which position the, aerially-received impulses may be attenuated until they produce little or no eflect upon the wave-responsive device.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 the variable resistance is shown as adapted to be inserted in the local or telephone circuitwhere the result is to render relatively insignificant the changes in the said local circuit produced by the aerial impulses upon the wave-responsive device.

vThe method as illustrated, in the device shown in. Fig. 3 consists in the employment of a capacity which may be varied in amount instead of theresistance used in the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This capacity is 'convenientl-yshown as a condenser C, which is varied in capacity by having one-plate adjustable relative to the other, as by means of a threaded supporting-rod G. The intensity of the impulse transmitted through tlre condenser C in a measure depends upon the sep aration" of its plates.

If the plates are sepa rated, less of the energy is transmitted to thev wave-responsive device R. One of the plates or a member moving in correspondence therewith is preferably connected with an indicating device-such, for instance, as the pointer Hso as to magnify the motion, and a scale, as D, provided whichindi'cates the amount of the movement in some arbitrary manner.

\ The form of device shown in Fig. 4c employs a variable inductance to secure the desired result. I have shown this inductance as affecting only the local circuit or that which contains the indicating instrument, al-

though it will be obvious that it may be inserted between this local circuit and the antenna or in a position corresponding with the location of' the capacity shown in Fig. 3. a

' in the form shown the indicating instrument'or telephone T is not placed directly in the circuit which includes the wave-responsive device R, but is in a small circuit which contains a coil 1', which is inductively acted upon by a coil I, located in the local circuit which includes the wave-responsive device anda battery B. A core J is common to both coils, and at least one of the'coils and the coreare relativelyj'movable, thereby making it possible tovary the intensity of the inductlve action communicated to the circuit contalnlng the telephone or other equivalent indicating or translating mechanism. As herein shown, the coil 1 is movable by means of a threaded rod G, soas to surround the core with more orless of the coil. Inthis way the in.-

tensity of the impulse received may be graduated anywhere within the limits of the device. Any of the moving parts may carry a vpointer which will indicate upon a scale, such as D", the amount of the adjustment, said scale being'soproportioned and marked that the readingsthereof may be used in connection with a chart or, tables previously prepared.

Fig. 5 shows another construction which may be employed 11; carrying out myinven= tion. This is based upon the variable-inductance principle. The antenna-circuit is provided with a coil I, and the local circuit or that' containing the wave-responsive device R is provided with a coil 1, one of these being adapted to slide within the other, so as to Vary the inductive effect of one upon the other. I have shown the coil I of the local circuit as mounted upon a sliding block which aerial impulse to the standard of comparison under different conditions of use are determined and these results tabulated or chartered. This data should be determinedfor variation of power, length of antenna, distance, and all other elements which influence the intensity sponding with those then use As the height of antenna and length of spark-gap or other conditions which vary the force of radiation must be known, it. is presumed that this data is known as to the transmitting-station whose distance it is desired to estimate either by reference to a table giving this data for regular stations or by a message previously sent.

It is obvious that my method may be practical by the use of other forms of apparatus than those shown. I'do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting the' practice ofmy invention to the forms of apparatus shown, but to broadly claim the method herein indi-v cated irrespective of the forms of apparatus employed. 4

What I claim, and desire topatent, is-

1. The method of determining the distance to a sending wireless-signaling station which consists in employing a damping or choking influence of regulable. amount in the receiving apparatus to thereby reduce the intensity of the signalsreceived to a standard of comparison and in comparing the amount of the damping influence required with results obtained under known conditions and distances.

2, 'The method of determining-the distance to a sending wireless-signaling station which rionsists in varying the percentage of the energy received which is communicated to the translating or indicating instrument and in comparing the percentage required to produce a standard effect with the percentages required to produce the same effect under known conditions. v

3. The method of determining the distance to a sending wireless-signaling station which. consists in employing a regulable resistance to dampen or choke down the energy received until a standard indication is produced upon an indicating instrument and in comparing the amountof resistance required for this purpose with the amount required to produce the same efiect under known conditions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, this Qth-day of September, 1903, in the presence of two witnesses.

LEE DE FOREST.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. Tno'MAs, H. L. RnYNoLns. 

